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Carbohydrate Counting... Is it Effective or Necessary?

As a newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic I've noticed many people here
putting a lot of stead on carbohydrate counting (BCC) as an important
(even critical) part of their BG levels, some as part of a sole dietary
therapy, and some as an adjunct only to their medication. It would
seem from the usually very positive and detailed comments posted
on these forums that carb counting is highly regarded in the diabetic
"community".

Personally, I see carb counting as tedious and overly involving, and
even unnecessary—assuming of course one's medication is working
satisfactorily
to control one's BG levels in the first instance.

Anyway... a little bit of research brought up THIS site, which in part
suggests that "despite the impact of the total carbohydrate intake in a
meal on the postprandial glucose response, there remains a scarcity of
evidence regarding the effectiveness of basic carbohydrate counting as
a dietary approach for enhancing glycaemic control."

Compared with the standard dietary care group, [they] observed no
treatment effects of the BCC intervention
on HbA1c from baseline to
end-of-treatment. Both groups (subject and control) experienced
comparable reductions in HbA1c and MAGE (mean amplitude of
glycemic excursions) from baseline to end-of-treatment at 6 months.

[They] found that BCC as add-on to standard dietary care did not reduce
HbA1c or MAGE
, compared with standard dietary care in individuals
with T2 diabetes.

—I'm guessing BBC could be a hot topic on diabetes
forums, so I'm interested in hearing peoples' opinions
on this topic, whether from a pro or a con perspective.

PS: I'm very new to this condition, so I'm hardly an expert, that's for sure. :)
I have phases of very careful carb counting (using MyFitnessPal) because so far the only time they tried me on medication for T2, I had all the side effects on the list of possibilities! And I'm the same with other medications tried recently as well. So for me, carb counting is a real alternative strategy.
 
I do not agree thet the 'real enemy' with diabetes is highly processed foods. I can eat a highly processed slice of low carb bread without getting blood glucose to the point of potentially doing damage, but I can't eat a decent portion of fully unprocessed mango (much as I'd like to) without rising to the mid to high teens, even with insulin.
I put my money on the processed bread being healthier for me than the unprocessed fruit, but that's only after using my meter to see what it does to my BG.
And @ausGeoff

My view about being harmful isn’t limited to diabetes, the macros, nor the short term response of blood glucose after a specific item.

More about what it does to our whole body and it’s functionality over time. Eg the long term effects on our digestive system, livers (NAFLD for example) and much more. You can get identical grams of carb, fat or protein from very different ingredients. they still come packaged with different micronutrients and anti nutrients not accounted for in those 3 categories.
 
More about what it does to our whole body and it’s functionality over time. Eg the long term effects on our digestive system, livers (NAFLD for example) and much more...
I'm pleased to say I've been learning so much stuff since
joining this forum... thanks folks! :)

EG: I'd never heard of NAFLD before. Have now checked it out.
 
@Antje77 and @ausGeoff , in response, yes, that was a rather sweeping statement I made. To clarify, I was referring to metabolic health in general , not specifically raising blood sugars after eating an ultra processed meal . I have eaten these UPF meals too, but in the main I cook from scratch. Cooking my own meals, I know what goes in them. Of course, cooking itself is a process, but I'm not adding a whole list of chemicals I have to look up on the internet and really these chemicals have no business being in food.

As always, our body our choice. As a caveat to that statement I would also say that some people don't have a choice because of their circumstances.

I have attached a research paper on UPF and diabetes. Here is a quote from the paper.

"UPF consumption increased the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Brazilian adults, with heterogeneity across specific food items. These findings add to previous evidence for the role of UPFs in the development of diabetes and other chronic diseases, supporting recommendations to avoid their intake in diabetes prevention and management."

https://dmsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13098-023-01162-2

@ausGeoff , looking at the ingredients you have listed, although processed it doesn't look like a UPF type to me. Here are a couple quotes from the BMJ journal entitled 'Association of ultra-processed food consumption with all cause specific mortality '

"Ultra-processed foods are ready-to-eat/heat industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, including flavors, colors, texturizers, and other additives, with little if any intact whole food."

"Ultra-processed foods usually disproportionately contribute added sugars, sodium, saturated fats and trans fats, and refined carbohydrates to the diet together with low fiber."


I personally try an avoid UPF products. Sometimes it can be difficult because gluten free products are highly processed and full of carbohydrates. :confused:


https://www.bmj.com/content/385/bmj...TOs0u1WmJF2GlI_86MsScUkRdUZkZKYAaAh9hEALw_wcB
 
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